Brake-beam.



E. A. LE BEAU.

BRAKE BEAM.

APPLICATION IILBD JURE a, 1909.

Patented Apr. 16, 1912.

lhvantor: Ernaat A.La Beau ERNEST A. LE BEAU, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS,ASSIGNOR T0 CHICAGO RAILWAY EQUIP- MENT COMPANY, 01' CHICAGO, ILLINOIS,A CORPORATION.

T0 aZZ w7wm z't may concem:

Be it known that I, ERNEST A. LE BEAU, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, Illinois, have invented a certain new and usefullniprovement in Brake-Beams, of which the following is a full, clear,and exact description, such as Wlll enable others skilled in the art towhich it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in whichFigure 1 is a vertical sectional view through the end of a brake beamshowing my improved method of adjustably mounting the brake headthereon; Fig. 2 is a similar view showing a modified arrangement otlocking block; Fig. 3 is a top plan vievv, partly in section, of theconstruction shown in F ig. 1; Fig. 4 is a top plan view, partly insection, of the construction shown in Fig. 2.

This invention relates to a new and useful improvement in brake beams,and particularly to the adjustable brake head mounted on the beam, theinvention belonging to that class of adjustable brake heads asillustrated in the patent to Henry B. Robischung, No. 485,828, datedNovember 8, 1892. In the present instance, however, the locking block ismounted in the sleeve or thrust block, being forced outwardly by aspring to bear against the brake head, whereas in said Robischung patentthe looking block is carried by the brake head and pressed inwardlyagainst the sleeve or thrust block. According to the Robischung patentaforesaid, the heads vvere adjustably locked on the brake beam in suchmanner that when the brake beams were hung in position the heads wouldautomatically adjust themselves to the wheels, irrespective of thecharacter or position of the brake hangings, the locking blocks yieldingto permit the heads t0 assume their proper position and holding saidheads in their proper position during subsequent applications of thebrake.

The object of my present invention is to adjustably mount the heads on abrake beam so that it Will possess all the advantages of the Robischungadjustable head, and in addition, possess the additional advantage of asaving in space incident to the exterior arrangement of the springhousing in the Robischung patent, Which exteriorly Specfication ofLetters Patent.

Application filed June 3, 1909.

Patented Apr. 16, 1912. Sera1 No. 499,915.

arranged spring housing prevented the use of the Robischung adjustableheads in some types of trucks, particularly on inside hung brakes.

According to my present invention, the spr1ng-pressed locking block canbe arranged at any desirecl point within the thrst block or sleeve,without increasing the size or weight of the brake head, and thiscapacity for being mounted in difi'er ent positions possesses theadditional advantage of taking up wear and lost motion between the brakehead and the sleeve. In order to understand this advantage it Will beremembered that a clearance space is necessary for the introduction 01:the brake head upon the thrust block or sleeve, which space constituteslost motion which has to be taken up before any pressure can be appliedto the brake shoes. F or instance, according to the construction shownin Fig. 2, if braking pressure is applied to the beam through the leversin the direction of the arrow P, the space a in the nature of lostmotion must be taken up before any pressure can be applied to the brakeshoes. This space a, regardless of l1OW small or hovv large it might be,is multiplied many times through the leverage back to the brakecylinder, and the piston in the brake cylinder is thereby compelled tomake a greater stroke in applying the brakes, because of this space a.In ordinary brake rigging, the extra movement of the piston necessary totake up this lost motion would be prac tically sixteen times, more orless, the dis tance consumed by the lost motion. Furthermore, throughthe pressure of the spring-pressed locking pawl applied as in Patent No.485,823, a space between the under side of the thrust block and thebrake heacl is provided, which space permits constant vibration, whichtends to deteriorate the spring and vvear the rubbing surfaces betweenthe thrust block and the brake head, which wear increases the clearanceopening under consideration.

By being able to locate the spring-pressed locking block at any point sothat the pressure of the spring Will be exertecl in any direction Withinthe circle of the thrust block, I am enabled to utilize the springpressure to take up the clearance spaces referred to on the front andunder sides of the thrust block, locating them on the upper and rearsides of said thrnst block where they are et no consequence.

In the accompanying drawings, 1 indi cates the compression member, 2 thetension member, 3 the thrnst block or sleeve arranged on the end of thecompression member and through which the tension member passes, thelatter having a 111112 et on its end.

5 is the brake head. The brake beam illustrated, being of the trussedtype, has a strut, not shown, and may be provided with the' nsual guardfingers and other nsual accessories.

The thrust block or sleeve is provided with a socket, preferablyrectangular in contour, in which is located a spring 6 coperating With alocking block 7, Which locking block is rectangular in shape andprovided with serrations or teeth 7 on its outer surface. Theseserrations or teeth coperate with serrations or teeth 5" on the innersurface of the brake head socket, as shown. The brake head is providedwith flanges 5 on each side of these teeth or serrations between Whichthe locking block 7 is re ceived, whereby the brake head is preventedfrom longitudinal displacement. One of these fianges 5 is out away at 5so that the brake head may be introduced upon or removed from positionWith0nt retracting the locking block. This cut-away portion 5 ispreferably located at one end of the recessed portion containing theserrations or teeth necessitating the turning of the brake head on thesleeve after being introduced thereon to its ultimate position, whichtuming locks the brake head against longitudinal. displacement. Thegroove formed by these fianges is eccentrically disposed so that thespring 6 is placed under compression as the head is turned, and thenecessary amount of outward pressure is thus prodnced when the block isin proper position. To remove the brake head, it is rotated on thesleeve until the locking block registers With the cut-away portion 5,when the head may be slid longitudinally the beam.

VVl1en the block is in the position shown in Fig. l, it Will be noticedthat the energy of spring 6 is so directed that the clearance space a,before referred to, is completely taken up so that there is no lostmotion to consume part of the stroke of the piston in the air cylinder.The locking block could be positioned as shown in Fig. 2, if it wasdesired to so locate it at this point, or the locking block could bearranged vertically, at an angle of 45 degrees, or in fact any angledesired. In arranging the locking block at ditferent angles, it ispossible to not only take up clearance in front of the sleeve to savethe extra Work of the piston in the air cylinder, but it is alsopossible to take up the clearance under the sleeve so as to preventvibration between the parts.

By arranging the locking block and spring within the thrust block, it ispossible to use beams with adjnstable heads as inside hung brakes intrucks, where type of beam of Robischungs adjustable head is not 110Wavailable.

I ana aware that minor changes in the construction, arrangement andcombination of the several parts of my device can be made andsubstituted for those herein shown and described, withont in the leastdeparting from the nature and principle of my invention.

VVhat I daim is:

1. The combination of a brake beam, a brake head provided with a socketwithin which a portion of the brake beam extends, a spring-pressedlocking block carried by the brakc beam and so disposed with relation tosaid head that the forward wall of said socket is yieldingly forcedtoward the part of the brake beam on Which the brake head is monnted.

2. The combination of a brake beam, a brake head provided with a socketwithin which a portion of the brake beam is monnted, a spring-pressedlocking block carried by the brake beam and yieldingly adapted to forcethe bottom of the socket toward the brake beam.

3. The combination of a orake beam, an adjustable head mounted thereon,said head having means for attachment of a brake hanger, and means onthe beam for taking np the clearance space between the head and the beamsaid means assisting gravity in preventing the parts from rattling.

et. The combination of a brake beam, a brake head mounted thereon, andmeans monnted on the beam for taking up clearance space between the headand the beam so that no lest motion Will have to be overcome in applyingthe brakes.

5. The combination of a brake head having inwardly extending flanges,one of which is provided with a notch and a sleeve or member on thebrake beam provided With a removable projection designed to pass throughsaid notch in assembling or dismantling the beam.

6. The combination of a brake head having inwardly extending fianges,one of which is notched, and a brake beam carrying a yielding projectiondesigned to pass throngh said notch in assembling and dismantling thebeam.

7. A brake head having inwardly extending fianges, one of which is'provided with a notch, said flanges forming a"groove, one portion ofwhich is serrated.

8. A brake head having an eccentric groove in its socket, one Wall ofwhich groove is out away.

9. A brake head having a groove in its socket, the bottom of Which isserrated.

10. A brake head having a groove in its socket, the bottom of which isserrated and one Wal1 of which, at or near the end said groove, is outaway.

11. A brake head having an eccentric groove, one wall of which is outaway, in combination with a brake beam part having a movable memberadapted to pass through said cutaway portion, and be moved by saideccentric groove.

12. The combination of a brake beam comprising a s1eeve having anopening in one of its sides; a locking bloc]: slidabiy mounted in saidopening and curved upon its outer side to conform to the periphery of.said sleeve, said outer side being toothed; a brake head mounted on saidsleeve; and means for moving said block into engagement with said head.

13. In a device of the character described, the'combination of abrake-beam, a brakehead adapted to fit on and rotatably adjustable onsaid brake-beam, a lockblock inside of said head and adapted to bearagainst an inner surface of said head to maintain the latter in adjustedposition, and means to actuate said block to press the same into lockingcontact with said head, substantia1ly as described.

14:. In a device of the character described, the combination of abrake-beam having a recess in its outer surface, a brake-head adapted tofit on and rotatably adjustable on said brake-beam, a lock-block fittedin said recess, disposed inside of said head and adapted to bear againstan inner surface of said head to maintain the latter in adjustedposition, and means to actuate said block to press the same into lockingcontact with said head, substantiafly as described.

15. In a device of the character described,

the combination of a brakebeam having a recess in its outer surface, abrake-head adapted to fit on and rotatably adjustable on said brakedoeamand having an inner roughened surface, a lock-block in said recessinside of said head and having a roughened surface adapted to bearagainst the roughened surface of said head to maintain said head inadjusted position, and means to actuate said block t0 force the sameinto locking contact with said head, substantially as described.

16. In a device of the character described, the combination of abrake-beam, a recessed sleeve fitted on the end of said brake-beam, alockblock in said recess, a brake-head adapted to fit on and rotatablyadjustabie on said sleeve, and means to force said lookb1ock outwardlyinto locking engagement with an inner surface of said brake-head tomaintain the latter in adjusted position, substantialiy as described.

17. The combination of a brake head, of a part of the brake beam onwhich the same is mounted, said part having a movable wall whereby adimension may be changed for the purpose of holding the brake head inadjusted position.

18. The combination of a brake head, of a cylindrical part of the brakebeam on which it is mounted, one wal1 of said cylindrical portion beii1goutwardly movabie and means for moving said wal1 outwardly.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aifix my signature in the presence oftwo witnesses, this 26th day of May, 1909.

ERNEST A. LE BEAU.

Witnesses:

E. T. WALKER, J. W. WEINLAND.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Gommssioner of Patents.

Washington, ID. 0.

